FUNDAMENTALS OF CHAPTER DISASTER OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT PARTICPANT WORKBOOK

Transcription

1 FUNDAMENTALS OF CHAPTER DISASTER OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT PARTICPANT WORKBOOK Participant Workbook Updated December 2014

2 THE AMERICAN RED CROSS MISSION The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management: Copyright December 2014 The American National Red Cross Disaster Services

3 Table of Contents Segment 1: Welcome and Introductions... 1 Introductions... 1 Course Purpose... 2 Course Objectives... 2 Segment 2: Foundations of Disaster Management... 3 Representing the Red Cross... 3 Fundamental Principles... 3 Federation of Red Cross Societies... 3 Disaster Services Delivery... 4 Red Cross Core Values... 5 Objectives of the Disaster Relief Operation... 8 Concept of Operations... 9 Five Constituent Groups Segment 3: Assessing and Planning Tennessee Disaster Act The Chapter Disaster Response Self-Assessment Disaster Assessments Clients Service Delivery Planning Service Delivery Methods The Six Fiscal Controls Financial and Fraud Deterrence Keys to Success Segment 4: Organizing Tennessee Disaster Act Organizing Scaling the Response to Community Needs Director s Operation Book Organizing Considerations Headquarters Layout Keys to Success Segment 5: Resourcing Tennessee Disaster Act Disaster Responder Structure Collaboration Processing-In Disaster Workers Resourcing Keys to Success Segment 6: Directing Tennessee Disaster Act Director Responsibilities Keys to Success Segment 7: Controlling Tennessee Disaster Act Monitoring the Operation Daily Situation Report Daily Operations Control Form

4 Accounting Considerations Your Go Kit Keys to Success Segment 8: Trout Mountain Impact Assessment Map Segment 9: Scaling Down Tennessee Disaster Act Scaling Down Process Transition Plan Closing Considerations Keys to Success Segment 10: Closing Review Course Objectives Additional Resources... 70

5 Segment 1: Welcome and Introductions Introductions Instructors NOTES Participants NOTES Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 1

6 Course Purpose The purpose of this training is to prepare Red Cross leadership to manage a chapter/regional administered disaster relief operation. Course Objectives After completing this course, participants will be able to Manage a chapter/regionally administered disaster relief operation using the Five Key Management and Supervisory Responsibilities. Explain the essential elements of disaster planning and their relationship to an effective disaster response. Establish and modify service delivery priorities using disaster assessment data and other available information. Develop and execute an efficient and effective Service Delivery Plan in response to a local disaster. Assemble and manage the material and human resources necessary to meet the emergency needs of the disaster-affected community. Process the forms and reports necessary to support a disaster operation; use reports as tools for decision making during the relief operation. NOTES 2 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

7 Segment 2: Foundations of Disaster Management Representing the Red Cross You, and the team of disaster workers with whom you work, represent the American Red Cross. The significance of what it means to represent the Red Cross cannot be overstated! The people with whom you and others interact seldom differentiate between the individual worker and the organization they represent. To them, that disaster worker is the Red Cross. The impression the individual makes is projected on the organization as a whole. Fundamental Principles NOTES Federation of Red Cross Societies The Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross form what is known as the International Red Cross Movement. The American Red Cross and all other national societies worldwide ascribe to the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 3

8 Disaster Services Delivery Elements of Service Delivery Mission Goals Values Fundamental Principles Disaster Cycle Services essential areas of operational excellence that deliver client facing mission services according to the programs, processes and practices of Red Cross Disaster Cycle Services. Looking at the Disaster Cycle Services Slide: Think of the center as the organizational pillars of the Disaster Cycle Services (Prepare, Respond, Recover). Together these six elements establish a coherent program dedicated to the highest standards of disaster services delivery of all levels of the Red Cross. Use these as tools to ground your decisions especially when you must make a decision without procedures in your hand American Red Cross Mission The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. It is important for anyone who represents the Red Cross to understand this relationship between our Mission (what we do) and the Fundamental Principles (how we do it). Vision Statement The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that. all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope; our communities are ready and prepared for disasters; everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products; all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and in an emergency, there are always trained individuals nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives. Representing the Mission An important part of your responsibility as the Relief Operation Director is to create an environment where that conduct is not only a possibility, but is an expectation. You must begin by setting the example for others to follow. Congressional Charter Largely because of the efforts of Clara Barton, the Congress of the United States approved An Act to Incorporate the American National Red Cross on January 5, It was 4 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

9 recodified as part of the governance reform signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 11, The Act is known as the Congressional Charter of the American Red Cross. Red Cross Core Values Compassionate We are dedicated to improving the lives of those we serve and to treating each other with care and respect. Examples: Collaborative We work together as one Red Cross family, in partnership with other organizations, and always embrace diversity and inclusiveness. Examples: Committed We hold ourselves accountable for defining and meeting our objectives, delivering on our mission and carefully stewarding our donor funds. Examples: Creative We seek new ideas, are open to change and always look for better ways to serve those in need. Examples: Credible We act with integrity, are transparent guardians of the public trust and honor our promises. Examples: Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 5

10 Core Values Exercise In your groups thinking as Directors using the scenario provided: 1. List actions you would take. 2. List values you used from our Core Values to support your decision. 3. Select a reporter and be ready to report to the class. The operations director, Seth Mullins, has just convened the first Management Meeting for DR 400 in Eastern Tennessee. As we listened in, we heard some of the problems presented by the Activity Leaders. We thought it would be interesting to give each of your table groups one of the problems to solve. Transportation Management Report Arthur Grindstaff: Most everyone on this operation has been asking for their own vehicle. It seems like everyone we talk to has some legitimate reason they need to have their own car. We ve run completely out of cars and we have a lot of folks who are on the waiting list to get one. If we provide them, we re going to have to call down to Knoxville or somewhere else to get Avis to send in some more cars. Right now, this is our biggest problem what to do about the cars. That s all I have to report and I sure don t know how to solve this problem. Client Services Report Mary Margaret Davidson: We are trying to get our space set up and organized just as fast as we can. We are having to stop constantly to orient new workers arriving. We will begin working on our Service Delivery Plan today or tomorrow and we should be ready to begin opening some cases and really serving the clients by day after tomorrow if we don t run into any more glitches. We know that the expectation is to begin helping the affected families sooner than this, but we are doing the best we can. Staff Services Report Sadie Lee Weathersby: I don t believe I ve met everyone yet. I m Sadie Lee Weathersby, volunteer coordinator at the chapter. We ve had a record number of local volunteers coming by and also calling in and wanting to know if they can assist. Some of them were even affected by the flooding, but they still want to help us out. The problem is that almost none of them have had any training so there are limited ways to utilize these volunteers. We have gone to each activity to ask who needs volunteers here in the headquarters for clerical things, but so far have had very little response. So we have to tell them all that we will just call them back if more volunteers are needed. Some of them are real disappointed. In fact, one of them said she was going to talk to Channel 11 about how we are turning down help when there is still so many who need help. Training James Hibbs: Good morning everyone. I can tell you we are already a little bit overwhelmed with training requests. We have scheduled a few classes for new workers so they can get trained before they are sent out to the field but we still have more requests. You are all probably aware that we just don t have the classrooms to do more than one class at a time and we don t have enough trainers on the operation. We are taking a waiting list in case we can resolve these problems. We know some people want to volunteer in certain activities, but we can t get them trained to serve. 6 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

11 Mass Care Mitchell Johnston: We re trying to deal with a big complaint in Shelter #2. It seems that about 20 or 25 of the shelter residents are not happy with the food we are serving. Actually they are acting as if they are paying customers who came in expecting to see a menu. They re all asking for some beans and rice, but we ve told them that when they come to a shelter, they shouldn t expect the opportunity to choose what food they would like to eat. They re still grumbling though and some of their children won t eat the food we serve at all. In-Kind Donations Roger Filomena: As usual, we re getting a generous response from merchants who want to provide In-Kind Donations. In fact, the Logistics folks are unloading several truckloads right now. We have pallets of everything from food to cleaning supplies to alarm clocks. In fact, we are trying to iron out a problem with the alarm clocks. We have a few people on staff who forgot to bring clocks and they were asking if they could each have one of the donated clocks. So I need to find out if that is permitted. Actions/Decisions Values Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 7

12 Objectives of the Disaster Relief Operation Actions and Decisions The behaviors we as directors and the workers in our charge exhibit when working on behalf of the Red Cross should reflect its Fundamental Principles, Mission, Vision, and Core Values. In the same way that you care deeply about your personal reputation, when you and others accept the responsibility to act on behalf of the Red Cross, you shoulder the responsibility to behave in ways that reflect positively on the reputation of its good name. This responsibility is not to be taken lightly. As the director, you must set the example. Key Operational Concepts Regions as the Leading Edge of Disaster Cycle Services Operations Integration of Regional Volunteers and Employees in Operations Balancing Constituent Interest Metric and Continuous Improvement Concept of Operations Components 1. A structure based on six key operational functions 2. Incident Command System (ICS) principles adapted to the Disaster Cycle Services environment 3. Operational financial levels based on anticipated level of commitment 4. Operational types based on geography, scope, and complexity of events 5. Triggers, drivers for scaling operations 6. Alignment of workforce structures with the concept of 0perations 8 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

13 Concept of Operations Region initial response DOCC - Strategic resource support Division provides context and resources DRO - tactical action Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 9

14 Key Elements of a DRO The six operation functions should be incorporated in all operations. These six functions are applicable for operations of all levels and types. Operational Leadership (Command and Control) operations management External Relations includes Government Liaison, Community Partnerships, Public Affairs and Fundraising Finance and Administration provides support in ensuring financial controls and in developing and monitoring the operation budget Information and Planning includes disaster assessment (DA), information dissemination, financial and statistical information (FSI), and information and planning Logistics includes logistics, disaster staffing and disaster services technology (DST) Operations includes direct services groups and activities; i.e., mass care, client services (CLS), health services (DHS), mental health (DMHS), and recovery services Adapted ICS Principles The adaptation of the Incident Command System (ICS) is to ensure a scalable, consistent and integrated approach to disaster operations. Common Terminology will be defined and published in the Disaster Cycle Services Glossary Flexible, Scalable Organization scale based on size, scope and complexity of event Management by Objectives o Establish operational priorities and objectives o Develop and issue tasks o Develop incident plans to meet objectives o Document results to measure performance and continuous improvement Incident Action Planning provide mechanism to communicate operational priorities, objectives, and tactics for delivering services and support processes. Span of Control refers to number of individuals a supervisor is responsible for Establishment & Transfer of Leadership articulate and communicate shifts in accountability and transition of leadership Chain of Command refers to orderly lines of authority, responsibility and communication Accountability, Responsibility and Authority ensure effective stewardship of all resources (human and material) at all levels of the operation Clear Communications (Formal and Informal) o Formal Receiving and giving work direction and assignments Requesting support or additional resources Reporting progress on assigned tasks o Informal Exchanging incident or event information 10 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

15 Environment of a Disaster Relief Operation The environment of a disaster relief operation is the combination of the external physical, social, political and cultural settings within which the disaster relief operation functions and the internal elements of the relief operation itself. External Includes physical, social, political and cultural factors outside the DRO structure that affect the cost of the operation and the nature of service delivery and within which the relief operation functions and disaster relief is provided Affected populations and communities Political entities in the affected area that have a distinct stake in both outcomes and processes Cultural aspects of the affected population that may suggest or require variations in typical service delivery Other voluntary agencies, whether operational or supportive, that play varied roles Emergency management agencies that may be diverse in size, experience, skill and resources Individual and community expectations of the Red Cross that may be unrealistic Internal Includes the disaster relief operation itself, including the chapters, the workforce and the duration of the relief operation. Red Cross units that are diverse in size, experience, skills and resources A workforce composed of individuals with diverse skills, experiences and cultural backgrounds A workforce that may be of a substantially different culture from the affected population Application of a wide range of technical expertise, including both direct and support activities, which must be coordinated effectively Supervisory/leadership staff who may know little about their workforce Entire operation that may be conducted in a relatively short time span, frequently completed within weeks of the event Five Constituent Groups Clients Donors Public Partners Workers The ability to satisfy our constituents is the ultimate determinant of our success. Our constituents expect better and faster service, with greater accountability. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 11

16 Five Key Commitments Customer Internal and External Organization And its management Self As a manager People Individuals and the Team Task - Mission Five Constituent Groups 12 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

17 Segment 3: Assessing and Planning Tennessee Disaster Act 1 Playbill 1. Narrator Character 2. TV Weather Reporter 3. Phone Ring Trout Mountain Players 4. Mary Margaret, Trout Mountain Service Center Manager 5. Seth Mullins, Northeast TN Chapter Disaster Program Manager 6. Suzy, Public Affairs Chairman 7. Jim Ed, Disaster Action Team Coordinator 8. Lois, Individual Assistance Provider 9. Al, Individual Assistance Provider 10. Greg, Regional Disaster Officer 11. Rosalie, Community Chapter Executive Actor Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 13

18 NARRATOR Trout Mountain, a fictitious East Tennessee town, is in a mountainous county encompassing 429 square miles. The population of Rohn County is 72,000. About 30,000 of those people live in Trout Mountain, which is the county seat. One resident of Trout Mountain is Mary Margaret Davidson the disaster program special who works out of the Trout Mountain office of the Northeast Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross. The chapter, which is also fictitious, is located in Pleasantville and is a typical mid-size chapter, which serves 13 counties. The actual Red Cross offices in those 13 counties include the main chapter building in Pleasantville, the Trout Mountain Office and one other office in Mountainville. The total number of staff working at all three locations is ten. The community chapter executive, Rosalie Boatright, is currently at a Red Cross meeting at the regional chapter in Birmingham, Alabama, along with the disaster program manager, Seth Mullins. It is now early evening on Friday, February 16. As Mary Margaret prepares dinner, she can hear bits and pieces of the TV news, which is almost drowned out by the wind driven rain on the windows. She runs to the living room as she hears something about Weather Service. TV WEATHER REPORTER... most of the flood watches across the eastern portion of Tennessee have now been changed to flood warnings. Residents are urged to stay on alert and be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Almost all of Upper East Tennessee has received up to nearly 4 inches of rain in the past 12 hours and 4 more inches are predicted for the same area. Ring! Ring! Hello. This is the Davidson residence. PHONE RINGS MARY MARGARET SETH MULLINS Hi, Mary Margaret Seth here I ve been listening to the news this afternoon and tonight and it looks like we may have some concerns in your area. I just wanted to be sure you were keeping alert. As you know, Rosalie and I are supposed to be meeting here in Birmingham at the regional chapter all weekend. But I will keep my cell phone on in case you need to reach me. I guess I could get home if necessary. MARY MARGARET Thanks, Seth. I can tell you that the rain has been coming down like crazy since early this morning. I just heard on the news that we now have flood warnings. SETH It would be a good idea to get all the DAT members on alert for the weekend. You should also get ready to open shelters. 14 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

19 MARY MARGARET Okay, Seth (sounding a little hesitant). I can try to get back over to the office to do that. I know the situation can deteriorate pretty fast and the roads may start to close. I think we could get enough DAT members together to open one shelter. Let me jot down the numbers where I can reach you. I may have a lot of questions. Wait. Okay, now I have something to write with. Can you start with your hotel number? SETH I m just going to keep my cell phone on and right with me. You have that number. If I m on the phone just leave a message and I will call you right back. Please keep me posted. Okay, Seth. Bye. Preparing to Respond Activity In your table groups: MARY MARGARET 7. Select a reporter. 8. Review the questions you were assigned from the Tennessee disaster. 9. List possible solutions. 10. Be prepared to report to the group in 10 minutes. Questions 1. You may have detected Mary Margaret s hesitancy when Seth was giving her some instructions. Work in your group to plan how Mary Margaret could have been prepared to take actions right away even from home. What tools could she have at home? What steps can she be taking as soon as she hangs up the phone? 2. Think back to the Trout Mountain scenario you just heard. It sounds like the flooding could be bad and Mary Margaret has a lot to get done. Work with your group to list all the concerns you would have. 3. As you listened to the Trout Mountain scenario, you could hear that the rain is coming down hard and there could be a lot of flooding. Work with your group to come up with some plans to get your impact assessment done. 4. After having listened to the Trout Mountain scenario, you can imagine the concerns Mary Margaret must have on her mind. Work with your group to come up with a list of what might be some of the needs of the community. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 15

20 It is the director s role to ensure we are serving the constituents using the right methods at the right time (priorities). The Chapter Disaster Response Self Assessment The Checklist for Affected Chapters provided on the following pages is a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of chapter immediate response and preparedness. The self-assessment contains generally accepted expectations for chapter disaster response in Level II operations and the initial response to larger operations. It may be modified to focus on specific aspects of the operation and/or meet specific objectives of the evaluation. 16 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

21 Disaster Relief Operation Level II V Checklist for Affected Chapters DR Number Name of Disaster: Date of Disaster: Time of Disaster: Time on Scene: Within two (2) hours of the onset of a disaster: Chapter activates its disaster response plan Shelters are opened within two hours from the time the chapter recognizes the need for shelters and/or requested by an appropriate government official Shelter managers are at the shelters prior to their opening (this could be within two hours of activation or less dependent on the situation). The manager ensures that a walk-through is conducted and a facility agreement is signed Disaster Health and Mental Health Services coverage is provided in or to all American Red Cross shelters on a 24 hour basis (may be one person remotely if the operation is small with a stable shelter population) Fixed and/or mobile feeding initiated American Red Cross Government Liaisons are present at the appropriate government emergency operations centers and/or incident command posts within two hours of their activation Disaster or Impact Assessment initiated Public Affairs and Disaster Fundraising activities initiated A initial incident report (IIR) containing information on disaster scope, type, and initial chapter actions is provided to the Regional Chapter when the following conditions apply: The incident results in a death or multiple injuries A Red Cross paid or volunteer staff member is injured. A Chapter facility is damaged. Any evacuation voluntary or mandatory is occurring. Shelters are open; location and staff are included in report. The incident is a spotlight incident. Spotlight incidents are events that are uncommon. They include both community emergencies and disasters as defined in Connection 182. These incidents generate community-wide responses and significant media attention. Spotlight incidents are also events that may impact multiple jurisdictions simultaneously or in stages such as a flood or mass casualty transportation incident. The incident is a non-recurrent disaster. Non-recurrent disasters are also multijurisdictional events regardless of financial impact to affected chapters A Disaster Relief Operation number is needed Chapter needs mutual-aid; additional human and/or material resources and/or technical support Within four (4) hours of the onset of a disaster: All Red Cross shelters are properly identified, both within the facility and outside the facility Disaster Mental Health personnel are available at the shelter(s) and other service delivery points Red Cross shelter information is provided to local news media Regional Chapter provides initial report to the DDE/DDD Agreements for personnel and/or vendor support for feeding operations are activated Feeding is initiated at shelters in operation for more than four hours Disaster action team initiates transition for response to the chapter disaster leadership An assessment is made of the need for expanded mass care activities, to include mobile feeding and bulk distribution of goods Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 17

22 The list of chapter disaster volunteers is provided to the Volunteer Connection Workforce Administrator and the local disaster volunteer coordinator Disaster Assessment information submitted to Regional Chapter and DDE/DDD Continue recruiting local volunteers to assist with the response Within eight (8) hours of the onset of a disaster: Regional disaster relief operation leadership team is in place and operational Agreements with voluntary agencies are activated Chapter receives a report of activities from the shelters and other areas staffed by Red Cross staff On-going reporting schedule is determined DA Planning completed; PDA/DDA initiated Assess quantity of Chapter CACs & DOs Second shift personnel are activated If DRO has been assigned, a full assessment of material and staffing needs should be initiated Within twelve (12) hours of the onset of a disaster: Assessment of the operation's accomplishments and needs is completed Shelter information is entered into NSS DRO HQ is identified (Level III and larger) Red Cross material and human resource shortfalls are requested from appropriate Red Cross sources All assigned staff members are given an orientation to the disaster relief operation Within twenty-four (24) hours of the onset of a disaster: Cots, blankets and/or other suitable bedding are provided to the residents of Red Cross shelters expected to be open for more than twenty-four hours Comfort kits have been distributed to shelter residents Facilities for Logistics and Client Casework have been identified and the facility agreements activated, updated, and signed DRO HQ (Level III and larger) is opened; staff and stuff en route or arrived A comprehensive preliminary damage assessment is completed The first Disaster Operations Control (F5266) is completed and entered into DSARS A table of organization for the Red Cross chapter disaster response, listing group leads, with contact information is sent to the appropriate Red Cross offices and provided to Red Cross disaster response personnel Reports of Red Cross disaster response activities are provided to electronic and print media Disaster fund-raising is initiated in accordance with the chapter disaster fundraising plan Within 48 hours of the onset of a disaster: Disaster response actions to date are evaluated and adjustments made as needed A service delivery plan and field operations budget are discussed and drafted with Regional Chapter and/or the DDE/DDD A public relations plan is drafted Plan for Client Casework activation are completed to include: CAS, CAC s and all supporting technology A plan for the activations of casework monitoring is implemented. Recovery conversations begin. Within 72 hours of the onset of a disaster: A detailed damage assessment report is completed Red Cross Service Delivery Sites are identified, agreements signed, and readied for business Red Cross Service Delivery is staffed with Client Casework supervisors, caseworkers, Damage Assessment workers, Disaster Health Services personnel, and Disaster Mental Health Services workers 18 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

23 A one-page summary of significant community issues that may affect the ensuing disaster relief operation is provided to the disaster relief operation director A summary of all local voluntary agency agreements and services is provided to the DRO leadership Chapter leadership meets with the mayor(s) and public officials in the disaster affected area to explain the Red Cross disaster relief activities Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 19

24 Disaster Assessments Determining the impact of the disaster and the Red Cross response by assessing the Impact of the disaster Needs of the affected community Resources needed by the operation in order to meet the needs of the community Disaster assessments are the means by which we assess the impact of the disaster on the affected community. There are five important collection methods used to conduct disaster assessments. Initial and ongoing assessments are essential to effective planning. Impact Assessment Immediate and on-going Preliminary Disaster Assessment (PDA) Within 24 hours of the incident Area Assessment Within 3 to 5 days of the incident Detailed Disaster Assessment (DDA) Within 3 to 5 days of the incident Weather Assessment Ongoing Impact Assessment Scope Type of disaster Geographical boundaries How community infrastructure is affected History You can use historical information as a resource for Impact Assessment. The impact of a flood that just happened is likely to be similar to the impact of a similar flood two years ago. The cost of that flood two years ago should be valuable information as you estimate the cost of today s flood. As you are doing your service delivery planning, you should look at what methods worked in the flood two years ago and why they worked. You can anticipate and prepare for challenges by reviewing the challenges of the flood that happened two years ago. 20 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

25 What would be some of the sources for gathering this information? What information is needed to accurately assess the status of the community infrastructure? Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 21

26 Initial Incident Report An Initial Incident Report is a Microsoft Word-based report that captures initial incident information and details immediate Red Cross actions. The Initial Incident Report (IIR) is meant to meet regional, divisional and national headquarters initial incident needs. Topics include: Basic Information Timeline Location Demographics Incident Summary and Actions Taken What services are expected to be provided Additional details Clients Main reasons clients contact the Red Cross after a disaster: Seeking information Seeking people Seeking assistance 22 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

27 Service Delivery Planning Every response consists of two phases; the Regional Disaster Operations Plan and the Service Delivery Plan. Regional Disaster Plan: Provides road map for immediate response to all anticipated incidents Focuses on collaboration and coordination between all activity groups necessary to meet most serious needs while service delivery plan is developed and implemented Tells what is unique about the region/state Service Delivery Plan: Specifically describes the affected clients, their needs and assistance required on this disaster Ensures clients are provided with the right assistance at the right time by the right method Is comprehensive to include all constituents Why Do a Service Delivery Plan? Better service to the clients. Cost-effective service delivery. One common operational plan benefits all parties involved. Key Service Delivery Concepts We need to think about service delivery from the perspective of our constituents, not our own. As we begin to put together our plan, we need to put ourselves in their shoes. Service delivery cannot wait for the plan to be completed. A customized Service Delivery Plan must be developed for all disaster relief operations. Integration will exist, at some level, on all disaster relief operations. Client s needs and type of assistance provided must be matched with client readiness. Service delivery must be seamless and holistic. Support services must be part of the entire planning process. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 23

28 Service Delivery Methods Methods Service Delivery Sites Definition and Notes Can provide all or most direct services for clients at a fixed site. Bulk Distribution Direct Distribution Emergency Aid Stations Integrated Care Teams Provides immediate and necessary items for clean-up and salvage, as well as supplements assistance with in-kind products and to meet needs without regard to damage (Form 901 not required). Bulk Distribution items may not always be donated items. If the items needed are not available as bulk donations, they are often purchased by the DR. Provides essential items that cannot readily be purchased from a local merchant and that will quickly meet disaster victims needs based on damage and need (Form 901 required). Direct Distribution would be provided when local businesses have been destroyed or are overwhelmed. The director should closely monitor Direct Distribution. Whenever possible, it is important to put money back in to the local economy. Emergency Aid Stations (EAS) are direct service sites set up in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. They can be fixed or mobile. The supplies are often provided through In-Kind Donations; however, they can be purchased. Supplies often distributed include hand sanitizers, snacks, clean-up kits, trash bags, sunscreen, bug repellent, brochures, personal first aid kits, coloring books, stuffed animals and water. Often, the information the Red Cross can provide is as important as the supplies. EAS are particularly important when you have determined not to open a service center, as they provide Red Cross visibility in the affected communities. The community s ability to realize Red Cross presence has a direct impact on fundraising efforts. EAS are often in an area in the middle of a concentrated area of damage and clearly identified. They should be viewed as an area of rest for families. They serve a wide range of clients, including many who would not otherwise receive Red Cross assistance. Plan EAS around the times when residents will be present. Facilitate recovery of individuals and families who, because of loss of life, debilitating injury, illness, or profound emotional and/or financial losses following a disaster event, have a decreased ability to obtain and utilize assistance without intensive Red Cross intervention. 24 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

29 Methods Outreach Shelter Casework Two Commitments: Definition and Notes See clients in major or destroyed categories in situations where a service center is not cost effective, feasible or timely service delivery Provide items to meet the immediate, emergency needs that clients cannot obtain on their own resources Casework enables shelter residents to obtain needed emergency assistance items, and/or temporary or permanent housing, as a family unit and ultimately to close a shelter. Other category includes: Safe and Well Linking Safe and Well Website When communication lines are down or mass evacuations occur, the Safe and Well Linking Activity provides safe and well-related services. The purpose of this service is to let family members located outside the disaster area know the health and welfare status of a loved one located inside a disaster-affected area. If a sought person has a serious, pre-existing health or mental health condition, an Emergency Welfare Inquiry Form will be initiated. Family members outside the affected area initiate this process by calling the Red Cross. Safe and Well Linking locates these individuals, coordinates the help they need, and facilitates communication with their worried loved ones. During times of disaster, Safe and Well Linking promotes and supports the Safe and Well Website, where all disaster-affected individuals are encouraged to register themselves and their current status. Friends and relatives can then check the website for registrants posted messages by entering the sought person s name and pre-disaster phone number or address. Suggestions for promoting the Safe and Well Website in your community, guidance for initiating Emergency Welfare Inquiry Forms, and more can be found on the Welfare Information Neighborhood at This site requires the user s Exchange ID and password. At the Safe and Well Website, clients may register themselves and their current status. Friends and relatives can check the Web site for information by using the pre-disaster phone number or address of the client. Response Center The concept of that having a response center is to provide disaster information regarding the locations of Red Cross and other services during the disaster, providing referral information, doing Additional Assistance screenings, and replying to General Information requests. Client Assistance Cards (CAC) may be Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 25

30 Methods FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) Representation Definition and Notes activated through the Call Center and 901 intake may occur there as well. During relief operations, Safe and Well Linking is handled from the Response Center. When a disaster gets a Federal Declaration and FEMA opens Disaster Recovery Centers, Red Cross tries to assign representatives at the centers to provide information to the clients who come in. The Six Fiscal Controls These fiscal controls apply to all disasters and all types of client financial assistance. 1. Physically secure supplies of financial assistance The supply of un-issued Client Assistance Cards, blank Disbursing Orders, and other types of client financial assistance are the equivalent of blank checks and must be secured at all times. Access to unused client financial assistance items must be restricted to a limited number of authorized personnel. Secure the unused client financial assistance items in a safe, filing cabinet, or storage room that is locked at all times to which only a few senior people have access. 2. Maintain a log to track the supply, custody and issuance of financial assistance Financial assistance items (CAC, DO, checks, etc.) must be signed out to the caseworker to maintain a record. i. This record must include the pre-numbered sequence or unique identifiers. At the end of the shift, the caseworker must return any unused client financial assistance items and conduct a 100% inventory with a supervisor before the items are locked up. The inventory must include: i. Total number of client financial assistance items issued to the caseworker at the beginning of the shift by unique identifier. ii. Number of client financial assistance items issued to clients during the shift by unique identifier. iii. Remaining supply of client financial assistance items the caseworker returned at the end of the shift by unique identifier. 26 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

31 iv. This function typically resides in the Financial Statistical Information (FSI) function at a job site. 3. Observe caseworker and assistance issuer daily Oversight of caseworker and assistance issuer is critical. When possible, the individual preparing client casework, verifying eligibility, and determining need should be different from the individual who issues the assistance to the client. When segregation of duties cannot be completed, a supervisor must randomly observe each worker as cases are completed throughout the shift. 4. Review casework activity daily for correctness, accuracy of disbursement and resolution of unusual activity. To help avoid mistakes and fraud, designated staff must review casework for accuracy. Casework review should include the following activities: i. Ensure casework is complete. ii. Ensure 12 essential information elements are documented for each case. iii. Verify that the assistance offered is consistent with guidelines. iv. Verify that the assistance amount authorized equals the amount disbursed. v. Research unusual transactions to confirm that they are valid. A new casework monitor review form has been implemented to document the results of casework review. New CAS WebI reports have been created to help identify potential mistakes or fraud. 5. Record in CAS complete client documentation in a timely manner. As of July 1, 2006, all chapters are required to use CAS as the system of record for all casework. If CAS is not available, a an initial intake document must be used. When a the initial intake document is used, the information must be entered into CAS within 24 hours (within 12 hours on a DRO). Results in one system of record. Enables fraud prevention if client solicits assistance from multiple sites. Allows easier casework retrieval for audit purposes. At a minimum, the 12 essential information elements must be documented in CAS. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 27

32 Audit Question Who was provided assistance? Client name Client address Were they eligible? Identity verification Essential Information Elements Demonstrated Disaster-Related Need Review of Prior Assistance Where did they receive Disaster Response number assistance? Disbursement site Who authorized the assistance? Caseworker/Supervisor authorization What assistance was Dollar amount provided provided? Payment method (CAC, DO, etc.) What is the identifying Payment method unique identifier (CAC #, DO #, etc.) number for the assistance Case number from CAS vehicle? 6. Request a username and password for the CAS system that are unique to each user: For CAS and any other system being utilized at the chapter or DRO, each user must have their own unique user name and password Caseworkers, supervisors, and other disaster relief staff must not share their passwords with anyone Financial and Fraud Deterrence Good stewardship at the operations management level means both being responsible for the appropriate use of resources such as client assistance cards and disbursing orders and taking steps to avoid misuse of resources through fraud, waste and abuse. Fraud: Making false statements or representations of material facts in order to obtain some benefit or payment for which no entitlement would otherwise exist. These acts may be committed either for the person s own benefit or for the benefit of some other party. In order to prove that fraud has been committed, it is necessary to prove that fraudulent acts were performed knowingly, willfully and intentionally. Waste: The needless, careless or extravagant expenditure of funds, incurring of unnecessary expenses, or mismanagement of resources or property. Waste does not necessarily involve private use or personal gain, but almost always signifies poor management decisions, practices or controls. 28 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

33 Abuse: Practices that, either directly or indirectly, result in unnecessary costs to the American Red Cross program. Abuse is the wrongful or improper use or destruction of American Red Cross resources, or a seriously improper practice that does not involve prosecutable fraud. The Office of Investigations, Compliance and Ethics (ICE) is responsible for investigating suspected fraud, waste and abuse. This unit can be contacted via the Concern Connection Line at whenever incidents of fraud waste and abuse are suspected. CAS Compliance Client Assistance System (CAS) compliance is monitored through existing CAS 2.0 reports to identify inappropriate activity. Ensure that internal controls for assets are in use throughout an operation. In addition to the internal controls for client assistance cards, there are also internal controls for disaster staff cards which are found in the participants materials. Recover and Preserve Recovery of losses is the joint responsibility of affected Activities and the Office of General Counsel at National Headquarters. Whenever client fraud is suspected, identify whether there are any funds remaining on the Client Assistance Card. If funds are available, suspend the card immediately. ICE is not limited to issues only involving client assistance fraud. ICE monitors and investigates all incidents of fraud waste and abuse of Red Cross assets. Relief operation leadership is encouraged to use the direct referral to ICE to ensure the fastest response and recovery effort occurs. Keys to Success Some of the keys to success in Assessing and Planning include: Utilizing information in the Regional Disaster Plan Utilizing historical information Following the Service Delivery Plan steps Continuing to assess and plan Sharing information Effectively assessing the impact of the disaster Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 29

34 Segment 4: Organizing Tennessee Disaster Act 2 NARRATOR It is now 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, February 17. This is day one, since the flooding happened in the early morning hours of today. The flooding has been extensive. MARY MARGARET Good Morning. This is your Trout Mountain Red Cross office. How may I help you? SETH Good morning, Mary Margaret. This is Seth. I was really concerned when I heard the news this morning. I was pretty sure I would find you at the office. How s it going? MARY MARGARET It s been a long night, Seth, but I believe we have things under control fairly well. It all happened so fast and by the time I had a chance to call you, it was 2 or 3 in the morning and I didn t see the point then. I contacted our DAT chairman, Jim Ed Hicks, as soon as you and I hung up last night. Jim had more information than I did on what was happening with the flooding and we decided it would be best to just gather everyone down at the office. It s a good thing we made that decision as things started popping after that. More than 300 people were evacuated from the Wild Creek area. We had two shelters opened by 3 a.m. and we ve opened one more since then. We probably need to open a few more but we don t have enough staff. We definitely can t find any more nurses to staff the shelters. We sheltered a total of 100 persons last night. If we have many more, we ll need to get more cots and blankets from somewhere. SETH I ve been talking with other chapter people who are at this meeting and I know that both Nashville and Knoxville can send cots and blankets. You need to make a list of the activities you can t fill for the shelters and let s try to get some help. I believe I heard that some people are missing. Have you heard that? MARY MARGARET Yes, there are four persons missing and three hospitalized at Pleasantville General. I was wondering if we should contact the people in the hospitals. I only have two nurses on my DAT team and they are stretching themselves between the shelters. The chairman tells me that we cannot send anyone other than a nurse to visit those who are hospitalized and so we can t send anyone right now. By the way, the Powell River is expected to crest at 10 feet above flood stage by Monday and there is some concern about the Clinch and Hotshot Rivers. SETH Let me talk to some people here and see how quick we can get some nurses there. You need to let me know how many. That is terrible about the four persons missing. By the 30 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

35 way, what does that mean when the Powell River crests? And do you have more information about the Clinch and Hotshot Rivers? MARY MARGARET I m not sure what that will mean when the river crests. They re talking about letting water out of the lake but let me get more details. I ll get back to you. SETH Thanks. You also need to send a disaster mental health worker to visit the families of the missing persons. I could ask if any of the other chapters have a couple of disaster mental health workers they could send over. I ll continue keeping the Regional Disaster Officer, Greg, posted as well as all the other folks in the regional chapter. We ll need to get a DR number as soon as possible. Will two disaster mental health workers be enough? MARY MARGARET It would be wonderful if we could get two disaster mental health workers. But I do worry about having too many people sent in. When that flood happened last year, some of our chapter volunteers didn t like having outsiders come in and take over just because they were ranked higher as a disaster responder. But we will have to try to make it work. I ve asked the staff to determine what else we need in the way of human resources. We ll also need some more feeding vehicles. SETH Go ahead and prepare a Staff Request Form and a Disaster Requisition 6409 Form when you have fully determined what human and material resources you need right away. Then them to me. You are in charge until I get back and it is important for the person in charge to set the stage for a smooth scaling up when visiting staff come in to help. By the way, have you thought of putting a Table of Organization together so you could take a really good look at your staffing needs? No. I will ask who knows how to do that. MARY MARGARET SETH Have you taken a look at the Regional Disaster Plan? MARY MARGARET Not in a while. There is a copy somewhere, but I m not sure where. SETH Okay let me see what I can do about emergency response vehicles. Seems like there was something else I needed to ask oh, I hope you are keeping good records of everything. We can get that more organized and begin with the proper reports when I return, but it is important that you write down everything. You might want to go ahead and set up an Operations Book in a three-ring binder and keep everything together. MARY MARGARET Jim has been working with the facilities we are using for shelters and handling all of the sheltering and feeding details and he keeps good records. I will try to get the Operations Book together. I ve just started working on the I m just filling in the information I Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 31

36 have right now. I m going to need someone at the regional chapter to help me a little on the Service Delivery Plan. SETH Okay. I will talk to some of the others at this meeting about staff and ERVs and the cots and blankets you may need. And I expect to head home within the next few hours. Of course it is a three-hour drive, so I won t be there until late afternoon. Please keep in touch by cell phone and let me know what I can do. I ll come to your office as soon as I get in town. I know that many of your DAT members will be returning to work so we should start planning the transition from a DAT operation to the disaster relief operation. I will direct the operation. MARY MARGARET Thanks, Seth. Oh by the way you won t be able to get here by Highway 25, as the road is flooded out so you ll need to circle up through Virginia. Have a safe trip. SETH Oh, one more thing did we get out any messages to the media? And have you thought about fundraising? MARY MARGARET We had a call from Channel 11 late last night and I told them where the shelters were. We haven t sent any other messages. I did call Suzy Jones, the PA chairman. She will be in tomorrow. I haven t done anything about fundraising, but I will give that some attention. Bye now. As you listened to Act 2, what did you note as being important? 32 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

37 Organizing Activity In your table group: Select a reporter. Review the problem you were assigned from the Tennessee disaster. List possible solutions. Be prepared to report to the group in 10 minutes. Questions 1. It seems obvious from the script that Mary Margaret is using her DAT team for this response right now. It seems that Seth will become the director for a Chapter Disaster Operations Response when he returns. How would you plan for a smooth transition or scaling up from the one response to the other? Keep in mind the situation that was mentioned in Act Two about the reaction last year to staff being brought in from other chapters. Also keep in mind that you would be moving from a Regional Disaster Plan to a Service Delivery Plan. 2. Considering the shortage of nursing and mental health staff, put on your director hats and decide how you would be handling the coverage of the shelters and what would you be doing about visiting those who are hospitalized and the families of those who are missing? 3. Every chapter should be prepared to provide immediate disaster assessment, sheltering, feeding, coverage of the local Emergency Operations Center and planning for media coverage and fundraising. It is obvious that the sheltering and feeding is being done already. What plans would you make for covering the Emergency Operations Center? What would you be planning to do about media messages and fundraising? 4. Think back to the Trout Mountain Scenario you just heard. If you were about to become director of this operation and you were thinking about your responsibilities for Organizing what tasks/issues/concerns would you have in mind? Put on your director hats and work in your group to come up with a list. Organizing Developing In fulfilling the Organizing responsibility, you will be determining how the operation will be structured to meet the needs of the affected community and the workers. Your disaster relief operation will go much smoother if you are organized. The planning you do ahead of time and the tools you bring with you will make a huge difference. Two important steps in Organizing are determining How you will scale up from the Regional Disaster Plan to the Service Delivery Plan. If you need to activate Partner Agreements. In directing a disaster relief operation, you will need to consider the following three key steps in order to begin to get organized: Develop a table of organization Establish a Service Delivery Plan Design a headquarters layout Incident Action Plan (IAP) Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 33

38 Scaling the Response to Community Needs When we scale up, we increase the human, material and financial resources available to the response. When we scale down, we decrease only the human and material resources, as the finances have already been committed. We can save a considerable amount of money by scaling down in a timely manner. The scope of a disaster relief operation is directly related to its cost; the bigger the scope, the higher the cost. So it is important to be able to assess the present and future needs accurately and adjust the scope of the relief operation accordingly. Scaling Up As we move from a Disaster Action Team (DAT) response to a Regional, Divisional or National Operation, we need to ensure that through each step of the process a support system is developed in order to integrate the additional resources needed. This process is called scaling-up. When disasters strike, the Red Cross is called into action to work in partnership with our constituents to help those affected by the disaster get back on their feet. The local chapter DAT is the first to respond. A chapter operation is a local operation contained within a chapter and usually does not exceed Level II. For regional operations, multiple chapters may be affected, but the operation is contained and resourced from within the jurisdiction of a single region. A divisional operation is for events the cross regional boundaries and/or are beyond the scope of a single region. National operations are established for events that affect multiple regions and/or divisions, and require the movement of human and material resources from outside the division, and/or create national impact and/or risk for the organization. If disaster responders come in that are being placed in a leadership role, there is an opportunity for the chapter to get staff mentored and/or coached so that the chapter is stronger for the next disaster. Director s Operation Book A Director s Operation Book should be maintained that contains: 5266-Disaster Operations Control Initial and detailed incident reports - IIR and IAPs All Situational Reports (SitReps) Service Delivery Plans Narrative Reports Maps Demographic info Media releases Table of Organization Anything unique created for the operation After-action report findings Damage Assessment Summary Sheet (F5233) Community resources 34 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

39 For what purpose might you need any of this information after the operation closes? When you get ready to transition out, you will want to give either the original or a copy of this book to the local chapter. Be sure your contact information is included. Organizing Considerations Setting up your Director s Operation Book at the earliest opportunity will go a long way in helping you get organized. Other Organizing considerations include establishing: Table of organization and reporting relationships Lines of communication Authority and responsibility Physical arrangements Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 35

40 Table of Organization You would build your table of organization based on the needs of your operations. Some positions may be filled by the same person. Director Preparedness, Response, Recovery External Relations Operations Logistics Information & Planning Finance/Admin Mass Care Staff Services Disaster Assessment Client Casework & Recovery Planning Logistics Information Dissemination Disaster Mental Health & Health Services Financial & Statistical Information Community Strategy Development Districts Lines of Communication Both external and internal lines of communication must be maintained. It is not the director s responsibility to have all the conversations. It is just their responsibility to make sure those conversations all happen. Vehicles for Communication Here are some vehicles you could use to get messages out to your staff: Director s Letter or Director s Memo Disaster Responder Information Guide Job Site Orientation / Job Induction Job Newsletter Staff Meetings Bulletin Boards Geographical Information Maps 36 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

41 Director s Letter Template AMERICAN RED CROSS Name of Operation DR XXX TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: DIRECTOR'S LETTER # 01 WELCOME TO D.R. XXX, AND TO (NAME OF AREA) SAMPLE: Your presence here to help in the recovery is a vital sign that the American Red Cross never forgets to care! Please know that all of us appreciate your hard work and commitment to both the victims of this disaster as well as the mission of the Red Cross. I hope your assignment is fulfilling both professionally and personally! D.R. XXX MAILING ADDRESS ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE SAMPLE: Could attach TO or Roster TRAINING ORIENTATION SAMPLE: All local and visiting staff should receive a job induction or orientation. Your supervisor must verify this has occurred to ensure you are properly orientated. Your supervisor will keep you abreast of all regulations, procedures and practices on the relief operation. If at any time you have any questions, please contact your supervisor. HOURS OF OPERATION Effective today (DATE) the following are hours of operation: Headquarters: 00:00 a.m. until 00:00 p.m. Service Delivery Sites: 00:00 a.m. until 00:00 p.m. Consult with the Service Delivery Site Manager(s) regarding reporting hours to accommodate daily staff meetings. Changes to these hours of operation require written approval of the Director. STAFF MEETINGS AT FIELD HEADQUARTERS Staff meetings at field headquarters are held daily at 00:00 a.m. until further notice. Each Activity Group Administrator or designee is required to attend and be prepared to provide an up- date on their group s activities. Every effort will be made to conclude the meeting on or before 00:00 a.m. THE END OF THIS LETTER SAMPLE: Once again, let me express my appreciation for all the hard work you have each done on behalf of the victims of this disaster. Added to the challenges of working out of a temporary HQ, your patience and high-spirits have shown the quality that the Red Cross has come to mean to the American public. Thank you for your commitment and willingness to help deliver services to the clients and communities served by the Red Cross. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 37

42 Communication What you will want to avoid is communications breakdowns that can have a negative impact on the entire organization. Some examples of communications breakdowns might include An activity manager failed to inform the director of an unfortunate incident or complaint. The problem mushrooms and the director is confronted by the media without any knowledge the incident happened. The public relations person does not get the information about shelter closings. Logistics is not informed that an ERV was in an accident. All the staff is not informed of shelters, services or feeding sites closing. A special needs issue is becoming a big problem and the director hears about it from the media or a government agency. Media Interview Do s and Don ts Do s Do remember your relationship with the reporter Do be prepared Do listen carefully to the questions Do look at your reporter s eyes Do establish your own intensity level Do tell the truth Do lead the reporter Do humanize your remarks Do correct mistakes on the spot Do take control if bullied Do remember why you are doing the interview Do offer to follow up Don't fake an answer Don ts Don't say, "No comment Don't go off the record Don't answer multiple questions Don't fill the embarrassing silence Don't lose your cool Don t be negative Don't ask to review or edit the story Don t use the journalist s name Don t say As I said before or repeat a question Don t get pushed into answering something not factual or guessing Don t thank them for being there 38 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

43 Headquarters Layout There are several things you need to keep in mind as you plan the layout of your headquarters: Put Staff Services near the entrance of the headquarters where they are visible to people walking in. New staff can process in through Staff Services as soon as they arrive. A Volunteer Intake Center may be established in a separate space for event-based volunteers. Proximity of specific activities; i.e., Mass Care located near Logistics. Operations Management in a visible location Area for Orientation and Training Meeting spaces available Make note of Emergency Exits and Rest Rooms as you plan your layout. If meals will be provided at the headquarters, consider that location as well. Your Logistics staff will find the location for you and will work with you in carefully planning the layout of your headquarters. Keys to Success You have been successful in your responsibility of organizing if scaling up is such a seamless process that the only change that is visible to the community or the workers is that the chapter has enlarged sufficiently to meet the needs of the affected families in the community. You succeed when every person on staff understands Job expectations The big picture of the operation The Table of Organization Operating Procedures/Service Delivery Plan Who are our constituents That our constituents measure our success Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 39

44 Segment 5: Resourcing Tennessee Disaster Act 3 NARRATOR It is now Sunday morning, February 18, day two. Seth has returned from Birmingham and he is meeting at the Trout Mountain office with Mary Margaret, Jim and Suzy Jones, the Public Affairs chairman. Seth is now the director of the operation and Mary Margaret is assisting. MARY MARGARET I ve just put up a notice for an all-staff meeting at 3 this afternoon, but I thought the four of us needed to meet a little sooner to iron out a few things. I have the shelter report and it looks like we sheltered 100 people in six shelters last night. We have a real crisis with the cots and blankets, and I don t know what we are going to do about it. We don t have enough now and we will be in real trouble if more people come to the shelters. By the way, the DR number is # We told them we didn t think we would go over $50,000 so they designated it a Level II. SETH I m concerned about the cots and blankets. Jim, would you work on that? That will be difficult, but I will figure it out. JIM MARY MARGARET They called off the search for those missing persons and we haven t visited the families yet. We really need to get some Disaster Mental Health people. In fact, staffing is just a big problem now. I am concerned that many of our shelter staff will have to return to work tomorrow morning. SETH Sounds like your first priority after this meeting is to get some staff requested. By the way, the realtor got back to us and they found a place for our headquarters over in Pleasantville, and we can move in by noon tomorrow. We need to get the Service Delivery Plan and Field Operations Budget submitted today. We will also need to send a DOIS as soon as the phones are set up tomorrow and Mary Margaret I know you said you have done a SitRep. I heard from Shelter #1 this morning that they are running out of a number of supplies. We need to get someone to help Jim to determine what we can get from nearby and what we need to order. What about asking Joe Graybeal to help him? He just came up from Knoxville to help. MARY MARGARET I don t know, Seth. I don t think Joe and Jim get along so well. Let me give that some thought. Looks like I ve got a lot of urgent priorities right after this meeting. 40 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

45 SETH Why don t you and I talk about those priorities as soon as we finish this meeting? Suzy, where are we on PR coverage and signage? SUZY Fortunately we had a good quantity of Red Cross ID materials so I was able to send an adequate supply to all the shelters. I followed up with each of them to make sure it was all displayed. Channel 11 covered two of the shelters this morning. We should get something on the news tonight. The shelter managers assured me they had plastered ID all over the buildings, so there shouldn t be any doubt they are Red Cross shelters. The Pleasantville Banner is doing a story on the shelter at Trout Mountain College. I ve sent releases to all the electronic and print media in the area. Of course, we ve been getting shelter information out all along, and the media has been great. I m planning to make the rounds of all the civic club meetings tomorrow to give a five minute spiel on shelter locations and what we are doing. JIM Great job! Are we able to keep up with all the incoming calls? I noticed we were really bombarded yesterday. MARY MARGARET That was getting difficult, Jim. But I believe Suzy included the 866 number for the Response Center on her media blitz this weekend so most of the calls are going there now. I talked to the Response Center yesterday, and they said they could take calls for us as long as we kept them updated about the locations of shelters and what we are providing. SUZY You re right that I ve included the number in my releases. I ve publicized the number widely and will see that it continues to get out. JIM I thought we should start capturing the generosity of our constituents, so I ve started a thank-you list. Breakfast was donated this morning by Claypool s Buffet. The ladies at First Baptist served dinner last night. We ve had a number of in-kind donations that we re able to use. I heard that the monetary donations are starting to come in, too. I understand that Larry, one of our board members, brought a $10,000 donation over from Snyder Chemical this morning. Please make sure everyone is using the Disaster Requisition Form 6409 to request any material needs so we can track the invoices and expenditures. SETH That s good, Jim. I m glad you re keeping record of all that. We ve been fortunate to have some meals donated but I don t think that will continue to happen so we need to do some planning about meals for the next week. We need to try to get a kitchen in here. Jim, let s talk about that after this meeting. Mary Margaret, have we verified the four fatalities? MARY MARGARET We ve only verified two of them at this time. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 41

46 SETH For the Service Delivery Plan, I have three hospitalized. Is that correct? Yes, that s right. MARY MARGARET SETH I have 6 homes destroyed, 32 major and 126 minor. There are 428 others affected or inaccessible. Resourcing Activity In your table group Select a reporter. Review the problem you were assigned from the Tennessee disaster. List possible solution. Be prepared to report to the group in 10 minutes. Questions 1. You probably realized as you listened to the script that one big priority is getting some staff in for the shelters. It s already Sunday morning and Mary Margaret is saying many of the shelter staff have to return to work Monday. There isn t much time. Please plan how you would proceed in getting this staff requested. What would you need to consider? What kind of forms would you need? List all of your options for where to get the staff. How can you plan ahead for other staffing needs? 2. As you can tell from listening to Act Three, there seems to be a supply crisis. It sounds like somebody needs to take good stock of all the supplies for the shelters and all other supplies the operation will need for the next week. Put on your director hats and decide what steps you would take? What supplies might you need? What would be some of your options for acquiring these supplies? How would you plan ahead so that you don t get in this bind again? 3. Listening to Act Three, it sounds like Seth is about to gain a headquarters facility. Your group should put on their director hats and make a checklist for the move. What does Seth need to consider before moving into the facility? What should be in place? What needs to be considered in setting the facility up? Please brainstorm in your group and make a checklist. 4. You probably noticed as you listened to Act Three there seem to be a few personnel problems. Please put your director hats on in your group and decide how you would handle any personnel problems you noticed in the skit. What kind of plan would you have in place to handle other personnel problems? In fulfilling the Resourcing responsibility, you will be determining what human and material resources needed on the relief operation and how to obtain those resources. 42 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

47 Disaster Responder Structure Disaster Responder Groups and Activities The Disaster Responder Groups include: Operations Management Site Directors appointed by Chapter Management Multi-Site Directors appointed by the Vice President of Disaster Operations Assistant Directors appointed by the Vice President of Disaster Operations Directors appointed by the Vice President of Disaster Operations Disaster Responder Positions Service Associate: Provides basic services within one of the groups. Service associate positions in some groups will require licensure as part of the competencies required for specific activities and tasks. Supervisor: Oversees a work unit composed of service associates. Competencies for this position include experience and ability in leadership and management. A supervisor is familiar with the activities of the work unit s staff and is able to answer common questions on a day-to-day basis, but not required to be a subject matter expert. Manager: Oversees the work of the supervisors and is the subject matter expert with the group or a specific activity within the group. In addition to team leadership skills, a manager must have extensive technical knowledge of the activity and tasks and be able to provide guidance and support to all staff within the service group or an activity within the service group. Chief: Oversees a unit, consisting of one or more activities and is the primary subject matter expert for an activity, or group of activities on the operation. Reports to the director of the operation or to an assistant director. A chief has excellent leadership and organizational skills, as well as an in-depth understanding of the Disaster Services program. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 43

48 What information did you note during Act 3 that would help you determine your needs for human and material resources? Besides your leadership staff, what other resources are needed? Where might you be able to find these resources in your community? 44 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

49 Collaboration In every region s disaster plan, there should be a listing of agreements with the community agencies that you would work with during a disaster and what assistance those agencies will provide, how they will provide it and whether the Red Cross has access to it. How will the operation run smoother if you have developed these relationships prior to the disaster? Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 45

50 Processing In Disaster Workers Chapters must implement staff support to appropriately process-in all disaster workers assigned to the disaster relief operation. Processing-in should include: Welcome them Thank them for coming In-process them on to the job using Volunteer Connection Disaster Management Ensure they attend a DRO orientation Ensure they receive an Activity Induction Check on lodging, rental car and Disaster Staff Card needs Resourcing It is important to always be planning ahead for your human and material resource needs to allow for the time it takes to access needs. Continue to assess needs Track resources carefully Use tools to help you be successful Stock/replenish documents Use facilities Be aware of staff turnover and plan ahead for replacement. Some local disaster workers may be able to give only a certain number of days and those slots must be filled again. If you have staff from outside of the area and the operation goes longer than a week or two, you may have to fill those slots again. As good stewards of the donor dollar, you will want to access all possible resources locally. It is of the utmost importance to utilize local disaster responders to the fullest. Keys to Success Understand: Volunteer Connection How to request and track resources Maintain good relationships with community and neighboring chapters/regions: Your community With Partner Organizations 46 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

51 Segment 6: Directing Tennessee Disaster Act 4 NARRATOR It is now Tuesday afternoon, February 20, day 4. The headquarters is set up and running in Pleasantville. Four shelters are still open with a total population of 204. Meals are being provided from the chapter ERV and a rented four-wheel drive vehicle and bulk distribution is being provided from the Knoxville ERV. The priority of the day is evaluating the Service Delivery Plan. Let s listen in to a bit of the Service Delivery Planning discussion. Mary Margaret Davidson, who is now the only Assistant Director, is meeting with Jim Ed Hicks, Al Garcia and Lois Pellegrini. Lois and Al are caseworkers. Jim, the DAT Coordinator, is overseeing Logistics and Technology. LOIS We have divided the affected area into four sections. I ve made each of you a copy of the map. We now have enough service associates to cover three of the sections we will be doing outreach in, and we have requested more staff that should be arriving any time now. We talked about opening a Service Center, but we can get to the clients faster by using Outreach and/or Emergency Aid Stations. AL MARY MARGARET Sounds great. I m going to keep in touch with the Response Center every day. Apparently they have received a number of Emergency Welfare Inquiry calls. JIM With the four-wheel drive vehicle we re using, it looks like the two ERVs will be enough. There are still some areas without power. We need to continue to provide feeding. NARRATOR Sounds like they are doing well with reevaluating the Service Delivery Plan. Let s listen to the telephone conversation between Seth Mullins, now the DRO director, and Greg at the Regional office. SETH Greg, I m glad I caught you in. I d like to go over a few things with you in regard to our DR. Is this a good time to talk? GREG It s a perfectly good time Seth. How can I help? SETH I wanted to make you aware of a couple of problems I m trying to resolve just so that you are aware of them in case you hear from another source. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 47

52 Okay. I appreciate that. GREG SETH I think I ve gotten the first problem resolved. However, I would like to run it by you, and let you know that I will continue to monitor it. We had a complaint from the County EOC that we were not providing enough coverage. The problem was that we didn t have enough staff so we thought it would be sufficient to send someone to the nightly after action. But the emergency manager felt we needed to have someone over there all day each day. We couldn t manage that today, but we are sending someone over tomorrow and will try to keep that base covered as long as they remain activated. My next problem isn t quite resolved. This one is confidential, of course. I m having a hard time getting Mary Margaret to delegate. One result is that she s trying to do everything, and I m concerned about what s not getting done. And the other result of that is we ve had some big complaints from some of the disaster responders that they don t have enough to do, and they feel they aren t trusted to get the job done. I ve had a long talk with Mary Margaret today and will keep on top of it. I feel we will get it resolved but I wanted you to be aware in case any of the complaints come your way. And, finally, we ve had a donation problem. A couple of groups have collected a truck load each of miscellaneous items, and they are angry that we aren t set up to accept their generosity. I d appreciate any advice you have on that one. GREG I would deal with that one as soon as possible. I suggest you contact agencies in town that regularly collect and sort items. Find out which ones are willing to accept these donations and handle the donors as delicately as you can. You might call Salvation Army or Goodwill first. I m sorry you ve had so many problems crop up, but it sounds like you are on top of them. SETH I m trying, Greg. Thanks. I will call those agencies as soon as I hang up. Now while I have you on the phone I d like to run a few other things by you. Okay. Sure. GREG SETH I think we ve been able to get our 5266 in on time each day right from the beginning. We are wondering how long we need to keep sending it daily. Is it okay to just send a weekly one? GREG Yes, you ve done a great job getting these in on time. But we really need to keep getting them daily as long as you have cases open. When you get down to 3 or 4 cases, we could talk about it again. 48 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

53 SETH Okay, I think it won t be long before we can go weekly. We ve just finished evaluating the Service Delivery Plan. We ve decided to go with Outreach instead of Service Centers. That s simply the most efficient and cost effective way to assist those affected as quickly as possible. GREG That certainly makes sense. I expected you would select that method. Do you need more staff or vehicles or is there any way we can help you? SETH I think we re all set now Greg. We still need additional outreach workers and when we get the workers we will need additional vehicles. The main thing I d like from you is for you to please let me know if there is anything we are neglecting in the way of paperwork. We ve also been looking at our critical success factors and we feel that, so far, we are doing well. We re putting the clients first and dealing with problems as they come up. The clients seem pleased. Is there anything else we should be thinking about? GREG Sounds like you are doing a great job. At this stage of the operation you might begin to think about is whether or not you have any equipment or vehicles you can return or activities you can begin to downsize. You ll be able to use your 5266 and daily SitReps as tools to help you keep aware of this issue each day. It s important to always release resources at the earliest reasonable moment in order to be good stewards of the donor dollar. SETH Good suggestions. Thanks for your time, Greg. I ll keep in touch. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 49

54 Directing Activity In your table group Select a reporter. Review the problem you were assigned from the Tennessee disaster. List possible solutions. Be prepared to report to the group in 10 minutes. Questions 1. As you could see, Seth was dealing with some fallout over not keeping the EOC covered. Put on your director hats and list all the reasons you need to keep all Emergency Operations Centers covered. How would you select the staff to cover them? Make a plan for keeping at least one EOC covered even when you are very short staffed. 2. Talk in your group about the problem Seth was dealing with regarding Mary Margaret s reluctance to delegate. What do you think were probably some of the reasons? Make a list. Put on your director s hats and decide what plan you would have for dealing with problems like this. 3. As you listened to the last Act, you may have noticed that Greg was asking Seth to think about downsizing. He mentioned using the Daily SitRep and 5266 to keep aware of this need. Put on your director hats in your group and think about how you would start your downsizing plan. 4. How would you handle the In-Kind Donations problem? Please work in your group to come up with some creative solutions. Why is it important to handle this delicately? Why is it understandable that Seth was unable to accept these items? 50 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

55 Director Responsibilities What responsibilities do you think a director has? It is very important that you set up your structure, giving directions to all staff on the relief operation through your director s letter immediately after the operation has been established to prevent the disaster operation going in a direction you do not want it to go. There was template of the director s letter in Segment 4. Director Performance Expectations Many different activities will contribute to your success as a disaster relief operation director: Communicating: One of your earliest opportunities to communicate with everyone on a disaster relief operation is through a director s letter. Communicating needs to reach beyond the operation and include the affected chapter leadership, voluntary organizations and government agencies. Implementing Service Delivery Plan is critical that all parties involved understand and embrace the plan and monitor it on a regular basis. Reporting: Providing information to Red Cross units, including the affected chapter, the regional grouping chapter and national headquarters, allows the Red Cross to maintain a single voice and common message. Managing the Budget: Budget management is critical to the success of the operation. The Red Cross must be good stewards of the donor dollar. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 51

56 Monitoring Service Delivery We may monitor service delivery on a daily basis via the following questions: Is service delivery clearly the number one priority? Are we focusing on the clients? Are we looking at the Service Delivery Plan maintained? Are concerns quickly addressed? Are local resources being used? Are ALL constituents involved? If we go through these questions on a daily basis, we are more like to run a successful operation. Keys to Success Here are some keys to success: Clients felt their needs were served in a fast, hassle-free and courteous manner. Our donors supported us. Our workers felt they received good supervision and had a meaningful experience. Our partners felt we communicated and cooperated with them and kept them well informed. The American people felt we did a good job and were wise stewards of the donated dollar and felt that their donations were used in a cost-efficient manner. Remember Immediate shelter for disaster victims Immediate feeding for disaster victims and relief workers Accurate and timely disaster impact assessment, including a report of service status and funds committed Staffing for local Emergency Operations Centers Public affairs and fundraising activities to cover the costs of the response operations 52 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

57 Segment 7: Controlling Tennessee Disaster Act 5 NARRATOR It is now Thursday afternoon, February 22, day 6. Mary Margaret is walking into Seth s office. Let s follow her in and listen in on their conversation just to see how things are going now. MARY MARGARET Hi, Seth. Do you have a little time for us to meet now? SETH Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing. Come on in. How are you doing with the Service Delivery Plan and 2066? MARY MARGARET I ve made some progress, but I m still struggling with getting the costs into the right counties. It was so much easier when we were just sending one consolidated figure. I also can t get a final total on some of the lines because I don t have the cost of airfare for the couple of staff who flew in. I have a call in to the regional office and hope I can get it finished today. The 5266 is another story. I m just having a hard time getting everyone to turn their figures in at night so that I can get it in on time. SETH Why don t you bring that up at the staff meeting tomorrow morning and I will make it clear that it s not an option to get those figures in and to get them in on time. Getting back to the 2066 for a few minutes, are we still doing pretty well in staying within our budget? MARY MARGARET Yes we are. In fact, we are staying under budget. And, Seth, now that I m doing better at delegating I m finding some time to look ahead at the downsizing like you suggested. I m going to start meeting with all of the activity leaders tomorrow to talk about the resources they have left compared to what they still have to do. SETH That s great. I m glad to hear that. By the way, you are doing a much better job with the operational reports now. I read the one from yesterday over a couple of times. It s beginning to tell the story of what we are doing. MARY MARGARET Thanks, Seth. I think we ve come a long way in less than a week. I ve sure learned a lot. I think a lot of the staff just didn t know what was expected of them those first few days. We ve been able to resolve a lot of problems. People know what is expected now. And they seem to be taking a lot of pride in what they re accomplishing. By the way, did you see the story in the paper this morning? Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 53

58 SETH I sure did. How could I miss it on the front page!? They did some good interviews. I liked what the clients and the workers had to say about how we are doing. You are right. We ve come a long way. Controlling Activity Using the problem activity distributed: Select a reporter. Review the problem you were assigned from the Tennessee disaster. Agree on a solution plan. Be prepared to report to the group in 10 minutes. Questions 1. What do you think Mary Margaret meant about how difficult it was to divide the costs into counties? Do you think you could fill out the Service Delivery Plan to complete the Field Operations Budget now? What problems would you have? 2. We spent some time earlier in the course talking about Staff Meetings. Now that you ve been through a few more segments do you have new ideas about effective staff meetings? Please work in your group to describe them. 3. Mary Margaret and Seth talked about reviewing the Service Delivery Plan. What would you be looking at each time you review the Service Delivery Plan? Mary Margaret and Seth talked about the SitRep and that it was finally telling their story. What kinds of things would you put in the SitRep? What kinds of information would be useless for the SitRep? 4. You ve now listened to five Trout Mountain Acts. Put your director hats on work in your group and imagine Seth has asked you to come up with a Scaling Down Plan. Come up with a concept for Scaling Down and make your list. 54 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

59 Monitoring the Operation In fulfilling the Controlling responsibility, you will basically be monitoring the operation. You will now be analyzing and adjusting the operation as needed. You will be establishing operational goals, cost estimates and communication systems to constantly monitor activities in order to identify problems requiring solutions. Effective control allows the director the opportunity to make adjustments as necessary. One of your most important means of communications will be your daily staff meetings. You will want these meetings to be short and concise, so it will be important to plan and manage every minute of the time. Another important communications tool will be your visits and those of your staff to the service delivery sites. You will want to see the services and be assured that we are meeting the needs. As you hold your staff meetings and visit service delivery sites, you will be constantly comparing performance to planned goals, comparing expenditures to planned cost estimates, monitoring activities and identifying and solving problems. An important part of this responsibility is managing all the reports. The Key Management & Supervisory Responsibilities are cyclical. Even while you are focusing on the Controlling responsibility, you will also be focusing on one or more of the other Key Responsibilities. Daily Staff Meetings You will want these meetings to be short and concise, so it will be important to plan and manage every minute of the time. It is important to Continue the meetings for the duration of the operation. Use them as a forum for sharing information. Review activities of prior 24 hours Discuss plans for today Identify challenges Discuss SDP and performance outcomes Use them to help structure the scaling up process and to begin the scaling down plan What are other things you can do to make the staff meeting successful? Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 55

60 Site Visits Some things to consider for Service Delivery Site visits: What to look for? Who should visit? Do you need to visit all sites? What to do with the information obtained? Reports and Cost Estimates We will focus on why we keep daily reports, and how we use the information. These reports include: Field Operations Budget and Cost Estimate Daily Situational Report Incident Action Plan Daily Statistical Report (F5266) It is important to start completing the reports at the beginning of the operation. You do not have to have all of the information when you do the first reports. Complete what you can. Talk with the Region and/or the DDE/DDD about reporting requirements. Financial Levels Financial levels are a component of the Disaster Cycle Services Concept of Operations. They are an indication of the expected size or cost of the Red Cross effort within the context of the operation, level of commitment. Level determination is an internal administrative reference used for framing and communication management decisionmaking factors. DRO Levels DRO levels are designated as follows: Level I expected field operations budget less than $10,000 Level II expected field operations budget $10,000 but less than $50,000 Level III - expected field operations budget $50,000 but less than $250,000 Level IV - expected field operations budget $250,000 but less than $2.5 million Level V - expected field operations budget $2.5 million but less than $5 million 56 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

61 Field Operations Budget 2066 The Field Operations Budget establishes the level of the disaster. The level of the disaster drives other actions such as whether a DR # is required. The budget also helps to evaluate if the Service Delivery Plan is cost effective. An initial estimate (range) of the cost of a disaster relief operation should be established within 24 hours of the occurrence of a disaster. If the initial estimate is over $10,000, then the region should call the Division Disaster Director as soon as possible. For Level III and IV operations, the report must be completed no later than 5 days after the start of the incident. The Division Disaster Director, Division Disaster Executive or the Disaster Operation Coordination Center may request it earlier if the situation warrants. The service delivery plan which includes the field operations budget should be revised and resubmitted any time you anticipate a significant change in the service delivery or cost of the operation. The Field Operations Budget is first and foremost a management tool. It helps test if the Service Delivery Plan is cost effective. If Form 5266 commitments are higher than or look like they will be higher than the budget, then operations management should evaluate why and determine if the Service Delivery Plan should be adjusted. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 57

62 What expenses might you have for Direct Services (Client Services and Mass Care)? If there are several deaths or injuries in the disaster, what costs might we have? What costs might you have for Staffing (Staff Services)? What costs might you have for Logistics? 58 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

63 Daily Situation Report Information gathered from each activity group is Actions from today Sustainable local capacity building Concerns, and Suggestions Besides giving Operations Management an overview of the operation, these reports will help you With an overview of operations management When there are leadership staff changes. With the information you need to write the narrative at the end of your assignment. Notes Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 59

64 Daily Operation Control Form 5266 The Disaster Operations Control Form is an internal management tool prepared by leadership on relief operations to give an account of services delivered, human and material resources on the operation, and financial commitments incurred. The purpose of the Disaster Operations Control Form is to capture daily service delivery information for reporting purposes as well as to support future service delivery planning. Because the Disaster Operations Control Form does not fully represent the costs associated with the relief operation, the dollar figures from the Disaster Operations Control Form are not provided to external audiences, including partners, and are not shared beyond the operations s core leadership team. Non-monetary numbers from the Disaster Operations Control may be shared. The Daily Operation Control Form is organized by group: Lines Service Delivery Sites Lines Individual Client Services Lines Staff Support Services Lines Mass Care Lines Logistics Lines Commitments There are Period and To Date columns. Rows are color coded for calculation configurations: Yellow Auto calculated Purple Maximum number Green Cumulative figure Gray no entry required Group Activity Within you group, and using Form 5266 Days 3 and 4 Handouts, complete the following activity: Compare the two reports and report back any questions or comments you have Consider how the Situational Reports would look with the trends Take 5 minutes Notes 60 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

65 Accounting Considerations The Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 brought about important compliance implications for the Red Cross, especially when it comes to tracking and responding to in- kind donations. We must send a thank-you letter for every gift totaling $250 or more if it is cash (for tax purposes.) You may be asked if several gifts adding up to $250 should be treated the same way the answer is no. Do not put in the letter the value of the items. All in-kind gifts regardless of value receive a thank you letter. How do we value an in-kind donation? The donor will actually give us a value; it is our responsibility to compare the donor value with what a purchasing agent would pay. It is our responsibility to come up with the value and decide whether a compliance letter is needed. The value of the donation should be recorded. You should not mention the value to the client in the compliance letter. That is between the client and his or her tax accountant. It is important that we do not take on the role of tax advisor. Even though it is always courteous to send a thank-you letter for a donation of any amount, it is the responsibility of the director to understand the compliance issues. Your Go Kit Sample Service Delivery Plans Initial Incident Report Blank IAP Form 5266 document Situation Report Staff Request Form Supply Request Form Concept of Operations document Operations Planning Standards and Procedures document Incident Reporting Standards & Procedures Division Contact Directory and growing FOCIS information Keys to Success On a daily basis you should monitor The Service Delivery Plan Expectations The Form 5266 and Comparison to the Form 2066 Commitments on 5266 compared to Field Operations Budget Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 61

66 Segment 8: Trout Mountain X X Clara X Hope X stone X X shelters Putting It All Together Activity Keeping in mind all of the information you have learned during this training, we want you to do everything you think you need to do for this small operation. If you do not finish it all in the two hours, that is alright. However, we think you should be able to do so. Work as a team to accomplish the task and develop a team consensus as much as possible. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask your instructor. 62 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

67 Final Exercise Tornado Time 5:30 a.m. A Tornado has just been report touching down in the Northwest side of town. Office of Emergency Management has called and said that several homes have been affected. They believe that there are approximately 1000 homes that may have been in the path of the Tornado. The weather service states that they are not aware of any other activity in the area. The Office of Emergency Management is going to open up their County Emergency Operation Center. The Disaster Plan shows that part of the area affected is an Asian community and very few of them speak English. The Disaster Plan shows that the Socio-economics of the area are lower income and that average household makeup is 5-6 per household. History tells us that 10% of the population in that area will show up at shelters. It is not known if the road through town is open because of debris. Utilities are down in the area, none of the cell sites are working. There have been reported injuries, the news reports have said up to 20 people may be injured. Following are the resources that the staff currently has available to the chapter: Personnel 1 - Operations Management, Site Director 2 Managers 4 Supervisors 20 Service Associates Chapter equipment 1 - ERV located at the chapter building 1 - shelter trailer with the following stock Blankets 75 - Cots 75 - Comfort Kits 75 - Clean-up Kits 62 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 63

68 Located at the chapter in a closet 3- cell phones 0 - radios 3 - phone lines into the chapter Agreements exist with 5 facilities having a shelter capacity of 1,300 people. The Friends Church and Hope High School are in the evacuation area. All other shelters are within 10 miles of the affected area. If you need any resources, request them from your instructors. 64 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

69 Facilities Shelter list of chapter agreements: ABC School 123 Street Wild Creek, USA (999) Hope High School 444 Street Hope, USA (999) Friends Church 456 Street Nanatcha, USA (999) United Church 888 Street Clara, USA (999) Stone Middle School 987 Street Stone, USA (999) Capacity 300 people Capacity 300 people Capacity 200 people Capacity 200 people Capacity 300 people The Chapter does not have any agreements for rental vehicles. The Chapter does not have any agreements with agencies to do food preparation. The Department of Social Services has 10 workers who have been trained to run shelters and do casework. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

70 Segment 9: Scaling Down Tennessee Disaster Act 6 NARRATOR The time has gone by since Friday night, February 16. The flood water has receded. The shelters have closed and the borrowed cots have been cleaned and returned. The Knoxville ERV has been returned. There is only one Outreach Team still working on a few cases. Greg has traveled from the regional office in Birmingham and is meeting with Seth, Jim, Mary Margaret and the chapter exec, Rosalie. GREG I don t think I ve ever been involved in an operation that went smoother than this one! This chapter was certainly prepared. Things were happening so fast in the early days of this disaster and yet you never seemed to skip a beat meeting the needs. I know you all had some problems, but you did a good job of getting them solved and especially of not letting them get between you and the service to the clients. ROSALIE I certainly agree with that, Greg. Our employee and volunteer staff are very well trained and they each take ownership in the Red Cross mission. From what I can tell, everyone responded. We never heard the word no. SETH I am betting we ve met the expectations of our constituents. We ve had great visibility. I believe all of the communities have appreciated what we were able to do. In fact, we ve heard that from most of them. MARY MARGARET I am working on the recognition and will need help from everyone. SETH We ve come a long way with our fundraising. We ve raised about half of the budget and we can be very proud of that. Mary Margaret did a fine job with her downsizing plan and saved a lot of donor dollars by letting go of the resources as soon as the need ended. JIM I think I ve finished taking down all the ID. I was actually able to salvage most of it so we can use it again. Joe Graybeal helped me with that. He turned out to be a lot nicer than I ever realized. I hated to see him leave today. MARY MARGARET Greg, I m going to need you to go over the closing checklist with me. One of my concerns is making sure that all the bills get paid in a timely manner. And I am wondering when we can officially close the operation. 66 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

71 GREG One thing you can do to speed up the bill paying is to check ReQuest, get in touch with any of the merchants who haven t sent invoices and ask them to get them in. SETH I d like to sit down with you, Greg, and go over this closing checklist before you leave today. I just want to be sure everything is in order and that I haven t left out anything. I want to be sure I ve covered all the bases in getting equipment returned in good shape. I need to be sure we know what to do with all the paperwork. Fine. I ve got the rest of the afternoon free. GREG SETH Guess that s all we have on the agenda for the meeting. I ll just go over some things with Greg now. But while the rest of you are still in here let s all just give ourselves a big hand for a job well done. Scaling Down Process It s a Balancing Act! Planning Reducing Services Reducing Human and Material Resources Announcing to the Public Executing the Recovery Plan and transitioning responsibilities Scaling Down Triggers When will shelters and feeding services no longer be needed? When will new registrations and home visits be completed? When will all cases have been reviewed and closed? When will facilities be consolidated or closed? When will equipment and supplies be ready to be returned? How will reduction in service delivery be communicated to the public? When will the bills and invoices be received? Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

72 Transition Plan Once you begin to scale down the operation, you should encourage each activity lead to keep careful stock of the number of staff they have left, the list of tasks they still have to complete and the number of vehicles they have on hand. You should plan strategically and encourage them to plan strategically, to look several days ahead and compare the staff and vehicles with the number of tasks remaining for their activity. This process can resemble a balancing act. As good stewards of the donor dollar, you will want to make certain the number of staff and vehicles on hand never outweighs the number of tasks remaining to be done. Begins with each activity leader Helps save dollars & other resources Provides a guide so that everyone knows what to expect Sets the stage for a smooth and seamless scaling down in order to transition responsibilities into Recovery Executing Transition As the director of a disaster relief operation, you will want to make certain every staff member understands the procedures for processing out and that each one reserves enough time for this process. Ensure that Regions understand the scope of what remains to be done and their responsibility All staff have processed out or those remaining are listed in the transition plan. Narrative reports are written Transfer administrative responsibility to identified Region(s) Transfer statistical and financial reporting responsibility to identified Region(s). Transition The plan is on paper. The plan is reviewed in a meeting or on conference call. The chapter fully understands and agrees it can handle tasks that still need to be done. Contact information is included. Plan is developed to communicate service delivery to the public 66 Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

73 Closing Considerations Don t wait until the last minute to start checking off your list. Delegate some of the tasks. If you must leave any one of the closing tasks with the chapter, leave it in writing and follow up. Pay attention to each item on the list. Ensure that all DRO staff and regions are on board Keys to Success One of the most significant responsibilities of a relief operation director is scaling the operation. When we scaled up, we increased the human and material resources. Now that we are ready to gradually decrease the human and material resources, we have the responsibility to make sure all bases are covered so that the scaling is again seamless. Remember to Capture the scope of what remains to be done. Ensure the chapter/region is prepared to accept the responsibility. Arrange meetings to go over the plan. Ensure that all contact information is in place. Demonstrate appreciation for disaster workers. Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook

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75 Segment 10: Closing Review Course Objectives As a result of this course, you should be able to Manage a chapter disaster relief operation using the Five Key Management and Supervisory Responsibilities. Explain the essential elements of disaster planning and their relationship to an effective disaster response. Establish and modify service delivery priorities using disaster assessment data and other available information. Develop and execute an efficient and effective Service Delivery Plan in response to a local disaster. Assemble and manage the material and human resources necessary to meet the emergency needs of the disaster-affected community. Process the forms and reports necessary to support a disaster operation; use reports as tools for decision making during the relief operation. Additional Resources To further assist you in meeting your development goals you may consider the following: Courses Experience in different activities Regional Disaster Officer Division Disaster Director Find a mentor The Exchange Redcross.org Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Notes Fundamentals of Chapter Disaster Operations Management Participant Workbook 70

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